Senior Program Manager/Peace & Conflict Technical Expert

PartnersGlobal (previously Partners for Democratic Change), established in 1989, is an international, non-governmental organization committed to building sustainable capacity to advance democratic institutions, civil society, and a culture of peaceful change and conflict management worldwide. PartnersGlobal specializes in organizational development and social entrepreneurship, having provided the seed capital and technical assistance to establish 21 independent, local Centers around the world.

PartnersGlobal adheres to the values of participatory decision-making, collaboration, and consensus-building as the fundamentals of an inclusive, democratic society; and, we promote the application of these skills in all aspects of our work. The PartnersGlobal team includes process experts, facilitators, and trainers who apply those collaborative skills to achieve concrete results in technical areas such as rule of law development, women’s empowerment, security sector reform, and natural resource management. Our network of local Centers is renowned for undertaking cutting edge work and applying our process expertise to convene disparate parties to jointly tackle some of the most complex development challenges.

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

The Senior Program Manager/Peace & Conflict Technical Expert is a leader within the organization who provides programmatic and technical oversight of a complex, dynamic portfolio currently focused on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The role interfaces with key members of the Partners Network, supporting their operations, strategic growth and organizational health. The SPM contributes to the design and implementation of PartnersGlobal’s Peace & Conflict programming by: developing project proposals; providing technical expertise and thought leadership; building partnerships with local and global organizations; and ensuring effective communications with donors.

KEY ROLES AND DUTIES:

Essential functions may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Provide strategic guidance and programmatic support for current Peace & Conflict programming within the MENA portfolio, including liaising between the MENA team in D.C., Partners’ regional affiliates, and local partners, on program development and design, supporting the organizational development of affiliate centers and field offices, offering creative solutions to political and technical challenges, providing administrative and compliance oversight, and facilitating connections with like-minded organizations throughout the region;

Conduct ongoing monitoring of Partners’ programs and ensure the timely submission of reports to donors and full compliance of programs with reporting requirements;

Create and nurture strategic partnerships with funders, including USG donors, other bi-lateral donors, and private foundations;

Take an entrepreneurial role in developing and marketing new programs and initiatives in Peace & Conflict programming through project design and proposal writing, as well as crafting monitoring and evaluation plans;

Liaise across teams to spearhead the design and preparation of grant or contract proposals and fee-for-service activities in other regions or for global programming;

Lead negotiations with project partners and contracting organizations for new business development;

Work with the Communications team to provide creative content for social media, outreach materials, and for the PartnersGlobal website;

Lead the development of written products and materials, including: quarterly and close-out reports, blog posts, program descriptions and impact analyses, proposals, and other relevant materials;

Maintain collaborative relationships with international development organizations, local civil society organizations, and members of the Partners’ Network;

Monitor political developments in the countries and regions of current portfolio to provide political and programmatic analysis;

Travel to the field, as necessary, to support field-based teams in program implementation, reporting, and monitoring and evaluation;

Manage small program team and provide horizontal leadership for other professionals to effectively meet program goals; and

Fulfill other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

5+ years working on peace & conflict-related programs from a civil society perspective; MENA regional experience is preferred;

Demonstrated experience working with U.S. Government-funded projects and familiarity with U.S. Government regulations and processes;

Direct program management experience, preferably working in conflict-affected countries where programming and travel can be particularly challenging;

Demonstrated understanding of program budget development and management;

Experience developing and implementing new programming concepts together with local partners, including conflict analysis, operational approaches, and evaluative methods to measure impact; and

Proven success with grant proposals and fundraising, including writing winning proposals for U.S. government and other donors.

MINIMUM EDUCATION/TRAINING REQUIRED:

A master’s degree in International Affairs, Political Science, Peace & Conflict or a related field required;

Full professional fluency in English (Arabic language proficiency strongly preferred); and

Legal status to work in the U.S. is required.

OTHER SKILLS/ABILITIES/CHARACTERISTICS REQUIRED:

Dedicated team player with exceptional interpersonal skills and cultural sensitivity, who demonstrates strong leadership soft skills, including the ability to harness the talents and focus of a global network of colleagues, including U.S. and foreign national staff and civil society, government and private sector actors;

Demonstrated entrepreneurial spirit, with background in business development, including donor relations, proposal writing, and formulation of project budgets;

Exceptional problem-solving skills, with the ability to analyze, prioritize and manage work in the context of multiple, competing priorities with minimal supervision; and

Ability and willingness to travel internationally.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds.

HOW TO APPLY: Please send (via e-mail) a résumé and cover letter to: jobs@partnersglobal.org . Please indicate in the subject of the email and cover letter that you are applying for the “Senior Program Manager/Peace & Conflict Expert”

Only those applicants that are selected for further discussions will be contacted.

No Phone Calls. Interviews will be scheduled by appointment only.

PartnersGlobal is an EEO Employer

At PartnersGlobal, we have a clear vision: to be the place where a diverse mix of talented people want to come, to stay and do their best work. Diversity is more than a commitment at PartnersGlobal—it is the foundation of what we do. We are fully focused on equality and believe deeply in diversity of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, national origin and all the other fascinating characteristics that make us different.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please contact our Talent Manager, Edith Kardouni, at ekardouni@partnersglobal.org for assistance. We welcome the opportunity to discuss accommodation of your disability and ensure fairness in our hiring process.